Xenogears
Xenogears is a Japanese console role-playing game released on the Sony PlayStation. It was released by Squaresoft (now known as Square-Enix) in February 1998 in Japan and subsequently released in North America in October 1998. Xenogears never saw a PAL release. The game is both hailed and criticized for its heavy philosophical and religious allusions. Gameplay Xenogears' gameplay combines the traditional and innovative, utilizing two-dimensional sprite overlays on three-dimensional backgrounds, as well as two different battle systems, one which uses the actual characters in combo-based physical combat, while the latter takes place in turn-based 'Gear' battles. Battling is a variant of the ATB2 active time battle system found in Chrono Trigger and various Final Fantasy games. Once a battle starts the screen quickly changes to a combat scenario. Characters fight with martial combat and ether attacks along with special Deathblow moves that are learned through combinations of strong, moderate, and weak hits. Attacks use Action points (AP) and cost, 3, 2, 1 points respectively. You begin with 3 AP per turn (which is not enough to execute a deathblow) and as you progress in level you will eventually have 6 AP per turn. When the story is progressed to a certain level an additional AP (7 AP per turn) will be acquired and you will also be able to learn Elemental Deathblows, which can be unlocked quicker at higher levels. AP may be saved and used as Attack Points for combo attacks. A total of 28 AP may be accumulated for combo attacks, powerful sequences using multiple Deathblows to inflict massive damage. Characters can also use "magical" abilities that either aid the party or damage enemies. These abilities are limited by the number of ether points (EP) that are available. Unlike AP, EP do not replenish between attack rounds. For most characters, these abilities are called 'Ether,' although some characters' abilities have a different name, implying differences in their origins. For example, Fei's magic is called 'Chi,' and Citan's is 'Arcane'. Unlike the main characters of most RPGs whom specialize in either physical or magical strength exclusively, the main characters in Xenogears generally are competent in both areas, although few characters have more than one or two direct damage spells. While in Gears (mechanized fighting machines) 'Ether' abilities are amplified, though some change or become unavailable. In addition to the small-scale, hand-to-hand combat, the characters sometimes fight from within their respective combat robots, called 'Gears'. These fighting machines are often similar in fighting style and some bear an aesthetic resemblance to the characters that pilot them. For these particular battles, the combination style is reduced to a selection of strong, medium, or weak attacks that build up the attack level of the Gear with each turn until it can unleash a special, more powerful attack. While in gears the limiting factor of AP is replaced with a fuel gauge, with each attack consuming an amount relative to its power. There are three levels of normal special gear attacks (respectively levels 1, 2, and 3) and one additional 'infinite' level of special gear attacks. These moves are acquired in correspondence to a characters learned deathblow skills. Infinite level differs from the other three levels in several ways. When it is reached the Gear will go into a special mode known as 'infinity mode'. Infinity mode lasts three turns, and while in this mode, fuel can be recharged in a larger amount or the Gear can use Infinity attacks. Infinity mode cannot be reached until elemental deathblows are learned (with the exception of Maria Balthazar, who has them automatically, and Chu-Chu, who cannot perform special gear attacks what-so-ever). To reach infinity mode a character has to stay at attack level 3 while performing any other action. With each turn, there is a chance that infinity mode will be reached (this ratio is displayed on screen along with the gears status). Infinity level uses special attacks that use very little fuel and are much more powerful. Gears can regain fuel by 'charging'. The amount of fuel gained differs depending on the engine you have equipped and what attack level the character is currently at. Most engines have a base charge level of 30 fuel. Attack levels add 10 fuel per level with infinite level multiplying the charge rate by ten (charge levels are not cumulative). When equipped with certain items the gain rate of fuel may be increased. The Gears can also activate 'Boosters', which enables them to act faster but consume more fuel. It also unlocks the 'Special Option' command, which include healing abilities and special attacks. When a gear has no Fuel left, it can no longer execute attacks, use special options, or use boosters. They can however charge (regain fuel) and use ether abilities. The main characters can purchase Gear fuel, parts and upgrades in shops or from certain individuals. Plot Overview Xenogears initially takes place on the continent of Ignas, where the nations of Aveh and Kislev have been waging war on each other for centuries. An organization known as the Ethos, which is a church-like organization dedicated to preserving the world's culture, has excavated giant fighting robots called Gears. Gears have had a major effect on the war and have almost entirely replaced the need for human infantry. Although Kislev was gaining the upper hand in the war, a mysterious army known as Gebler appeared and started providing assistance to Aveh. With Gebler's help, Aveh not only recovered their losses, but began making their way into Kislev's territory. The game itself begins in the small town of Lahan, which is near the border of Aveh. We are introduced to Fei Fong Wong, an eighteen-year-old male who was mysteriously brought to Lahan by a "Masked Man" three years prior. Because of the events surrounding his arrival at the village, Fei has no clear memories before arriving in the village. Despite this, Fei has a pleasant life, and is awaiting the marriage of his two best friends, Alice and Timothy. One night, while visiting the local doctor, Citan Uzuki in his home on top of a nearby mountain, Fei is shocked to find a group of Gears flying towards Lahan. By the time Fei makes it back, the entire town is burning as the Gears storm their way through the village. Fei finds an unmanned gear nearby, and, despite Citan's protests, gets aboard; Fei has some success fending off the attackers. However, when he sees his friend Timothy shot, a new personality awakens in Fei, causing the Gear to go berserk - the entire village is destroyed, killing many of the attackers, as well as Alice, in the process. A distraught Fei is forced to become a village outcast and decides to leave the ominous black gear behind. Upon entering the Black Moon Forest, Fei encounters a strange female soldier named Elly, whom he feels a strange connection towards. From this point onward, Fei and his allies will learn of the truth behind his planet, and a past involving extensive manipulation and a being known as "Deus". Backstory and expansion Much of Xenogears' plot and backstory is detailed in the Japanese-only book Perfect Works. This book, produced by the now defunct DigiCube, details the history of the Xenogears universe from the discovery of the Zohar to the start of the game. For the avid Xenogears fans, an important aspect of the book is the explanation of the six episodes that make up the Xenogears saga. According to the Perfect Works schematic, Xenogears is only the fifth episode in a series of six, with the first four providing the backstory for the events that took place in Xenogears. Characters Reception Xenogears maintains a 90% ratio on gamerankings, and within the top 15 best reviewed games on the Playstation. However, it remains a critically divisive title with some, even years after its initial release. Many praise the game's storyline, with its discussions of philosophy, psychology, and religion. Also popular is the multitude of references to religious terms and well known science fiction films such Star Wars and Soylent Green, as well as praise for its innovative combat system. Some of the noted flaws from critics include the overabundance of cutscenes, an excessively high frequency of random battles, and linear gameplay. A notable criticism is the style of the second disc, where the use of the world map is restricted and the amount of cut scenes increases. Game notes Graphically, Xenogears combines 2D sprite characters with 3D environments. The environments and Gears are principally all created within the 3D engine, but the characters are created using low resolution 2D sprites. In addition to these things, Xenogears also utilizes both traditional Japanese cel-animated scenes and pre-rendered CGI movie clips during emotive or important plot points by Production I.G. — a trait that was common in Squaresoft RPGs during this era. Another commonly-lauded aspect of Xenogears is the dramatic and powerful soundtrack that was arranged and composed by Yasunori Mitsuda and featured Joanne Hogg on vocals for two songs with lyrics by event planner Masato Kato for the ending theme and Tetsuya Takahashi for the epilogue. Aside from the official soundtrack, there is also Creid, an arrange album produced by Mitsuda and Millenial Fair. In a press release by Square announcing the release of Xenogears in Japan, it was stated that the game's treatment of religion in general and Christianity in particular might prevent it from being released outside of Japan. However, Xenogears was released quietly into the United States, amidst minimal controversy. "Project Noah is - apparently - what Squaresoft had intended to call Xenogears when they first started production of the game and released information to the press. Later, the name was changed to 'Xenogears'." Information from xgam.org's encyclopaedia (http://www.xgam.org/xenogears/encyclopaedia/index.php?topic=project_noah) Psychological/Philosophical influences Xenogears' characters were designed to allude to many psychological concepts, notably Freudian and Jungian psychology. The most obvious allusion involves the nature of the game's protagonist, Fei Fong Wong, whose Freudian ego, superego, and id are discussed at length throughout the course of the game. Fei had subconsciously repressed his memories because of his unpleasant childhood. However, his desire to remember elements of his past eventually leads to his discovering the truth about who he is and what his relationship with the character known as 'Id' is. This repression also relates to the Jungian concept of the shadow. Distinctly Adlerian in nature, however, are the actions of certain characters, such as Ramsus, whose actions are driven by an inferiority complex that stems from unconscious 'nodes' that often permeate exterior behaviors of an individual. Although not distinctly psychological, allusions to the theories of the German philosopher, Friedrich Nietzsche, are found in game. For example, there is the concept of the eternal return, which, in Xenogears, correlates to the recurrences of the Contact and the Antitype. Connections to Xenosaga While Xenogears has never had an official sequel or prequel, some mistake a game developed by Monolith Soft and released by Namco called Xenosaga on the PlayStation 2, to be a prequel. Tetsuya Takahashi was the director and writer for both Xenogears and Xenosaga, and notes that Xenosaga is not a prequel to Xenogears because Square Enix owns the rights to Xenogears. There is considerable debate within the Xenogears fanbase about how accurately the Xenogears time line in Perfect Works is followed by Xenosaga, which contains similar elements, such as the Zohar, as well as several allusions of characters and terms present in Xenogears. Official interviews are somewhat vague on the matter, though Tetsuya Takahashi has stated that "It's probably more suitable to say that it follows the direction and style of Xenogears.", as well as "Now that we are under a different company, we figured we should start everything from scratch all over again. Though there are familiar faces that serve as important characters in Xenosaga, others are more like self-parodies, so we don't really want Xenogears fans to overreact. Like movies, sometimes you have the director of the movie or friend of the leading actor appearing as cameos, so it's similar to that."Sato, Ike. "We talk with the director of Xenosaga, Tetsuya Takahashi."http://www.gamespot.com/ps2/rpg/xenosaga/news.html?sid=2823598 By the closing of Xenosaga Episode III: Also sprach Zarathustra, the allusions to Xenogears and a possible connection become even more noticeable. However, there are many differing aspects of the Xenosaga series, and with Episode III marking a premature ending to the original forecast of six episodes, the connection between the two series remains unknown. Crew *Game producer: Hiromichi Tanaka *Executive producers: Tetsuo Mizuno, Tomoyuki Takechi, Hironobu Sakaguchi *Game director: Tetsuya Takahashi *Scenario writers: Tetsuya Takahashi, Soraya Saga *Original character designer: Soraya Saga *Character designers: Soraya Saga, Kunihiko Tanaka *Gear designer: Junya Ishigaki *Mecha designer: Yoshinori Ogura *Art director, Map texture designer: Yasuyuki Honne *Art designer: Takashi Arai *Map designers: Takashi Arai, Ryosuke Aiba *Battle planner: Hiromichi Tanaka *Event planners: Masato Kato, Takashi Tanegashima *Main programmer: Kiyoshi Yoshii *Battle programmer: Katsuhisa Higuchi *Music composer: Yasunori Mitsuda External links * Xenogears Official Website on Square Enix * Yasunori Mitsuda's Homepage